Cubot X17 Specs and Performance

You can’t expect miracles from a budget phone, especially if it’s designed to be give off the impression of a premium device. That leaves a smaller hardware budget, so you don’t really get the hottest hardware.  

• Let’s take a closer look at the Cubot X17 spec:
• SoC: MediaTek MT6735A, 28nm
• CPU: four Cortex-A53 cores up to 1.3GHz
• GPU: ARM Mali-T720 MP2 GPU at up to 450MHz
• RAM: 3GB LPDDR3 533MHz
• Storage: 16GB eMMC 4.5 internal storage, expandable via microSDXC slot
• Display: 5-inch 1080p IPS panel (JDI)
• OS: Android 5.1
• Rear camera: 13-megapixel sensor, f/2.2 aperture, 5-element lens
• Front facing camera: 5-megapixel sensor, f/2.2 aperture, 88 degree field of view.
• Battery: 2500mAh lithium ion, non-removable
• Dimensions: 143.4 x 69.4 x 6.1 mm
• Weight: 163g
• WiFi and Bluetooth: 802.11b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0
• Sensors: ambient light, accelerometer, proximity, GPS, A-GPS
• SIM card: dual SIM (micro SIM and nano SIM), dual standby
• Network support: 
  2G: GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz
  3G: WCDMA 900/2100MHz
  4G: FDD-LTE: 800/1800/2100/2600MHz (Please check local compatibility prior to making a purchase)

As you can see, the spec is not too impressive and falls short of the latest budget devices. The MT6735 may seem underpowered in a world of cheap octa-core devices, but it’s really not much of a bottleneck in most situations.

The phone packs a lot of RAM for this particular SoC, but that doesn’t help boost performance very much. The added RAM may come in handy in some situations, due to the phone’s use of eMMC 4.51 storage. However, it’s really not a difference anyone will notice in real life.

The limited sensor suite could be an issue for some users. There’s no compass or gyro, but at least the phone supports some useful gestures (double tap to wake for example).

In terms of sheer performance, the phone doesn’t manage to pull away from its 2GB sibling.

The tiny Mali-T720 GPU is clearly unable to keep up with more powerful mobile GPUs such as the Adreno 405 and Mali-T760. As a result, the MT6735 is not a good choice for anyone who wants to run a lot of 3D games on their phone.

Second to last in Antutu. However, if you want to put things into perspective, note that the Snapdragon 615, an octa-core part, ends up a mere 10% faster.

Basemark likes a lot of RAM and fast storage. While the X17 packs 3GB of RAM, the rest of the hardware platform is not powerful enough to make good use of it.

Geekbench single-core results are on a par with other Cortex-A53 devices.

The difference between quad- and octa-core Cortex-A53 processors becomes more apparent in the multicore test. However, the Snapdragon 615 isn't far ahead, despite the fact that it has eight A53 cores.

Bottom line: This is not a phone someone will buy for performance. It's a device for fashionistas on a budget, not enthusiasts.